The Small Victories

“At first I thought you had to be tough to join the Peace Corps. Now I realize that you have to be crazy!” These are the words of a recent American visitor to The Gambia. I do feel there is some truth to this statement. I have been here for 15 months now, and this experience so far has taken it toll on me; mental, emotionally, physically, even spiritually. People back home see pictures that I take here and say that this is an amazing experience. And it is, very much so. However, I can clearly say that the list of cons of being here is much longer than the list of pros. Even so, I have no intention of leaving here until it is the right time for me to go. Because for what few pros there may be, they still greatly outweigh the cons. I have written about many things that have happened here in my previous posts, but I have not written much about how I actually feel. So for this post I want to give you all a look behind the curtain. I want to tell more about some of the tough and crazy things that have happened, how they make me feel, and why they are not enough to get me to quit.

You all know some of the bad things that have happened here from my previous posts. Such as the time when my host family’s house was destroyed by a storm. The time when I had to help the people in my village fight a fire that was destroying one of their buildings. Or the time when I had a fever that was so high that my life was at risk. But here are some other things that I have not mentioned before. Each one is a long story, so I will summarize. One time I was almost run over by a man on a motorcycle. Another time I was almost blown up when a man tried lighting a cigarette next to a leaking fuel tank. Some people here will see me and say things like toubob or white boy, and it is not very often that I receive a proper greeting like hello or good morning. I have had rocks thrown at me, I have had people try to con me, and I have had to tell some men off because they were harassing my friends. So there are many times when I find myself feeling impatient or even angry with some people here. I also experience different physical ailments that make my service difficult. Earlier last month I was sick for an entire week because I had a parasite in my intestines, and it was causing fever, diarrhea, and delirium. Last week my foot was bit by a spider and it got infected. It swelled up to twice its size and I was barely able to walk on it. For the most part these are isolated incidences, but there are the day-to-day challenges that make this experience difficult also. I am always sweating, my feet are never clean (which made it hard to treat the infection in foot), I have rice for every meal, I have to ration water, and feelings of isolation or boredom can loom over me. Some people have asked me how I am able to cope with all of this. Sometimes I wonder that myself, especially during moments when my sense of humor and can-do attitude can only go so far.  In the end, it’s the small victories that do it for me.

A few months ago I attended a Malaria training and thought about potential projects to do in my village. I decided to start with my host family. I asked my host father one day if he had any mosquito nets and he said that he did not. At the time we were entering the rainy season here in The Gambia and I told him that the rains bring more mosquitoes, therefore an increased risk of Malaria. He took this information seriously and decided to get nets for the family. He obtained them the local health clinic, one for each bed in the family’s house and two for the outside sitting area. After the nets were set up I started up what I call Mosquito-Free Reading Time (MFRT). On some nights when it gets dark, some of the children in my host family and I will gather underneath a net and I will read to them. I will also tell them about why its important to sleep under a net and they seem to understand. Malaria is the leading cause of death for children under five in The Gambia. So I am pleased to know that the children in my host family are protected. I recall a certain night when I walked out to my host family’s sitting area and saw my five month old baby host sister Isatou sleeping underneath one of the nets. That moment brought on a wave of positive feelings. Just seeing her sleep safe and sound like that filled me with so much joy that I started to get teary eyed. Even now when I go and check on her at night, it still makes me feel wonderful and at ease. And I am glad that I was able to play a role in keeping her safe. To some, this may seem like a small victory, but to me this has to be one of the most rewarding things that could happen during my service. Of course she is too young to remember her big brother from America who looked out for her when she was a baby, but I will certainly remember her.

I have less than a year remaining in my service. I know that before I leave here I am going to run into times when I will feel frustrated, confused, doubtful, or even angry. But thinking about what I have been able to do for Isatou and the other children in my host family will give me all the motivation I need. And I know that I will never quit, no matter how tough things might get. I may not be a Peace Corps volunteer who makes a difference on a grand scale, but I have been able to make a difference in the lives of a small group of children and a five month old baby girl. And for me, that alone makes all the hardships that I endure from this experience well worth it.

Isatou sleeping under her mosquito net!

MFRT with the kids!